2012 Fellowships

Bridging Gaps

By John T. Harding

Differences in language and culture can influence healthcare and make it “very politicized,” explained Sindhu Ravishankar. Moreover,
the Marcus L. Urann Fellowship winner
knows firsthand that improving health behavior may be difficult because of these
challenges but not impossible.

This became clear, she said in a phone
interview, during fieldwork in South Africa on social conditions surrounding HIV,
the virus causing AIDS. After her spring
2010 semester studying abroad at University of Cape Town, Ravishankar interned
at a nonprofit advocacy group in that city
for people living with HIV and AIDS.
Then, in summer 2011, she won a research grant from her undergraduate
institution, North Carolina State University, and partnered again with the advocacy
group and University of Cape Town.

“Many key government figures arguedthat AIDS was not caused by HIV,” Ravi-shankar said, but was “a social povertyissue.” Thus, “people were largely misin-formed on transmission of HIV andaccess to treatment was curbed.”Things have improved, however, asthe medical community teams moreclosely with government agencies onnecessary education.

Cultural and linguistic differences

Sindhu Ravishankar(center right)poses in summer2011 with staffmembers of WolaNani, a supportorganization forpeople living withHIV and AIDS inCape Town,South Africa.

can also form barriers for healthcare
workers, she continued. As a sophomore, Ravishankar volunteered at a
Raleigh health clinic whose clients
were mainly Hispanic. Her Spanish was
rudimentary, but this experience led her
to improve it. And fluency in Kannada, a
South India language spoken by 35 million
people worldwide, helped her during a
stint at a free eye care clinic in a rural
area of that region, undertaken when
visiting relatives. (Born in Mysore,
India, she came to the U.S. with her
parents at 8 months old.)

Ravishankar graduated from North
Carolina State in May with degrees in biology and international studies. She
attends University of Oxford in pursuit of
a master’s degree in healthcare related to
international development.

Central to her thinking about healthcareare language and culture, Ravishankarsaid. “Culture plays a role in language,and understanding this gives more in-sight” to approaching health issues andthe occasional reluctance of people toadmit to problems. ■

John T. Harding (MontclairState University), a businessand economics columnist forthis magazine and regularcontributor to the annualawards edition, retiredfrom The Star-Ledger dailynewspaper in Newark, N.J., in 1997 after 27years as a business and economics writer, copyeditor, and wire editor, among other roles. Healso was an adjunct instructor in economics,journalism, and English at Montclair State, hisalma mater (B.A. in English and linguistics;M.A. in economics), from 1997 to 2007 and injournalism at Rutgers University from 1997 to2000. Email him at j.t.harding@comcast.net.

David Huang
Warren Alpert
Medical School of
Brown University
Medical student

Phi Kappa Phi chapter: ClemsonUniversity

Memorable course: On the history,
culture, and ecology of Cape
Town, South Africa, including
taking a trip there

Kayvon
Izadpanah
Georgetown
University School
of Medicine

Medical student

Phi Kappa Phi chapter: Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State
University

Undergraduate majors: Biochemistry and biological sciences
Role models: My parents, for their
hard work and determination
Most proud of: Being named the
2012 Virginia Tech Undergraduate Man of the Year

Emily Lichtenheld2
Harvard Law School
Law student
Phi Kappa Phi chapter: University of
Texas at Dallas
Undergraduate degrees: Economics
and international political economy
Memorable course: Researching
indigenous populations and
environmental conservation
in Peru while studying abroad
Satisfying community service: Human
Rights Initiative of North Texas

Kyle Maggard
University of Cambridge
M.Phil. student in engineering
for sustainable development

Career objective: Provide clean,
fresh water to developing,
conflict-ridden countries
Fantasy career: Professional golfer
Satisfying community service:
Helping build and restore a
Patriot Garden in Highland Falls,
N. Y., honoring the victims and
heroes of 9/11
Phi Kappa Phi chapter: United
States Military Academy
Undergraduate major: Engineering
management
Best part of Phi Kappa Phi: Dedication to academic excellence and community service